In order to place a photographic image onto a personal computer or similar electronic device, photographic film of various millimeter definitions may be scanned onto the computer with use of a scanner. Various types of scanners exist in the marketplace for this purpose, including scanners that use extra low dispersion lens technology, such as the Nikon Coolscan 8000ED.
Typically, in order to properly scan a film with such a scanner, the film must be held in place by a film holder prior to being fed into the scanner. Current film holders for 8000ED scanners rely on anti-newton glass shields with an airspace between the film lying on a bottom shelf and the glass shields above it, as shown in prior art FIG. 1. These film holders require a user to feed the film between the glass shields and the bottom shelf. The film is held secure within the film holder with hook-like clamps that extend upwards from the edges of the bottom shelf and pressure the edges of the film.
These film holders, however, are problematic in that the anti-newton glass diminishes scan quality. Moreover, as the film is only held secure by clasps along the outside of the film and not by the central regions, the central region may bend and buckle, thereby reducing scan quality. The airspace that exists between the glass and the film provides an area in which the film may be allowed to bend or buckle, increasing the potential for reduction in film scan quality.
Further, these film holders do not cure flawed areas of the film. As a result, if the film has scratches on its surface, the scratches may scatter light during the scanning process, thereby reducing scan quality.
Therefore, there remains a need for improved film holders for use with 4,000-dpi film scanners.